So I was thinking about this the other day. A shorter season might not necessarily be bad for the Wings. In fact I think it could help them. With less games there will be a significantly lower chance of injury and injuries have had a large impact on team preformance the last few years.

On the other hand, less games means less chances to capitlize on weaker teams. Especially if the percentage of division games are kept the same. While the overall percentage of divison vs non divison would remain the same, we would essentially be losing a lot of games vs the weaker divisions since the central is one of the tougher divisions in the league. And even less chances to beat up on the weaker eastern conference teams.

Considering our history shows that the first half of the season goes much better than the second half, I think it would be beneficial and give us a better chance of landing a higher playoff seed. As much as I don't want a half season, I do think it favors the Wings.

Considering our history shows that the first half of the season goes much better than the second half, I think it would be beneficial and give us a better chance of landing a higher playoff seed. As much as I don't want a half season, I do think it favors the Wings.

But only if we play the first half and get locked out during February.

I don't know that it would favour us, but at this point, I'll take any hockey.

I think that it favors the Red Wings because as the poster above said, the Wings typically start off very strong. Even the last couple of years, the Wings were doing good... until they were hit with injuries. So one has to think that a shorter season (say halfish) would benefit the Wings and especially Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

On the other hand, we are comparing their fast starts to the days of having Nicklas Lidstrom on our team... so perhaps that is unfair to do at this point. Maybe a shortened season will hurt them because they won't have as much time getting used to having no number 5 and won't be able to get things going quick enough?

I guess we will never really know until the NHL season commences, at whatever point that may be...

I almost think that it would benefit the Wings because, as the above posters said, we start strong before injuries. However, most of the guys are playing elsewhere during the lockout so they're still risking injury. As far as I can see, the only way a shorter season benefits the team is that guys like Eaves and even Helm with his wrist get more time to get to 100% without feeling rushed.

"Everything he does is exciting to watch.”-Holmstrom describes Datsyuk

Any other year, I would've said it will help. But this is a new, younger team that needs time to mesh. Mainly the defense - with Lidstrom gone, other players have to step up. Players like Ericsson, Smith, and Nyquist will need all the ice time they can get before the playoffs.

I wouldn't want a championship like that, may be in the minority but I prefer them fair and square (no stupid schedule advancement hear that midget?!, or injured players ...). Sure it will be a shortened season if one at all but I don't think it will benefit this team.

Like evil mentioned, some guys need to step up big-time others need every on-ice minute they can get so not the best time for a shortened season from a drw pov.

I just had to look it up, so I did.
There were forty-eight games played over seventeen calendar weeks in the shortened season. Six times Detroit played four games in a calendar week and of those they didn't have one losing week.

I don't think winning the cup in a shortened year qualifies as "cheap". Especially since over half the teams make the playoffs anyway. You still need to prove you're the best of the remaining sixteen. I could see if the season was only a dozen or so games. But 40 is still a large enough sample size to determine who gets into the post season and who doesn't.

Any other year, I would've said it will help. But this is a new, younger team that needs time to mesh. Mainly the defense - with Lidstrom gone, other players have to step up. Players like Ericsson, Smith, and Nyquist will need all the ice time they can get before the playoffs.

I agree with this post. Maybe if it were 2009. Our current team has no identity. We have a lot to figure out with our lineup and decreasing the margin of error will only hurt us. Unlike prior years, no one really knows how our lines will look and our defense needs to develop over the course of the season. I vote disadvantage.

Formerly known as The Nephilim.

QUOTE (Amberoonie)
Babs sure hurries himself into the presser, sits down, and f*cks up a bottle of water like no one in the room has had any for days.

I think we will see a renewed and revitalized Datsyuk after he returns from the KHL, the same goes with Filppula playing in Finland on the same team with his brother. Both of them have family connections that they miss while playing in Detroit, and I think it will give them a much needed boost upon their return. Same might go for Kronner and Ericsson playing in Sweden.

Then we have Brunner playing in the AHL instead of being thrown right into the NHL. This is to the Wings' benefit.

My concern is for some of the younger guys that won't be playing anywhere for months. Darren Helm is 25 and has said he's not going anywhere. Gustavsson is 27, and he also is apparently not either. These guys will get rusty, especially Gustavsson as a backup goalie.